Car-clamping device for car-unloading machinery.



No. 795,012. PATENTED JULY 18.1905. e. B. TITGOMB. I

GAR GLAMPING DEVIOE Fox on UNLOADINGMAGHINERLI APPLIBATIOII PILBD 83. 27. 1905- 2 SHEETS-SHEET m'tneo'o'eg'.

PATBNTED JULY 18, 1905.

' G. E; TITGOMB.

GAR GLAMPING DEVICE FOR GAR UNLOADING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27. 1905.

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UNITED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. TITCOMB,

THE DODGE COAL STORAGE COMPANY, OF

PHILADELPHIA, PENN- SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

CAR-CLAMPING DEVICE FOR OAR-UNLOADING MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 795,012, dated July 18, 1905. Application filed February 27, 1905. Serial No. 247,548.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. TITCOMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car- Clamping Devices for Car-Unloading Machinery, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of the invention is to insure that a loaded coal-car shall be automatically held upon the vertically-movable tilting cradle of a car-dumping machine while the cradle is being tipped over and that when the cradle is lowered the tracks of the car-supporting platform will be alined with the tracks via which the car runs onto or from said platform.

The invention consists'in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, and definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the vertical movable tilting cradle when the car-supporting platform has been removed and when a small portion of the floor has been broken away to show some of the mechanism below it. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, partly in section, of the cradle and associated parts; and Fig, 8 is a sectional plan view in the plane indicated by line 3 3 through one of the transverse beams of the cradle.

Referring to the parts by letters, A represents the car-holding cradle of a car-dumping machine, which cradle is of familiar form. The cradle forms a part of a car-dumping machine and is to be raised by suitable mechanism to the proper elevation and then tipped over.

U U represent the sheaves for lifting-cables, which are not shown. In fact, it has not been thought necessary to show any of the mechanism having to do with the lifting and tipping of the cradle. The cradle includes a number of transverse beams B and connected longitudinal beams C. It has a vertical front side (6, secured to the inner faces of certain vertical posts a.

So much of the construction as is described is well known and need not beelaborated upon.

Upon the platform is a car-supporting cradle E, whereon are tracks 6, which when the cradle is in its lowest position will be alined with tracks at both ends of the cradle. This platform is made of a suitable number of transverse beams a and longitudinal beams 0 properly secured to form a rigid structure. On the under side of some of the transverse beams are the inclined surfaces 0 which rest upon freely-rotatable wheels F, mounted upon the cradle. The weight of this platform, to which will be added the weight of a car upon the tracks a, will cause the platform to roll upon these wheels F toward the front side of the cradle. Mounted in suitable bearings upon the under side of the cradle is a rock-shaft H, to which is secured a number of bell-crank levers K. One arm of each lever extends upward and is connected by a link L with, the car-platform. The other arm of the lever has a friction-roller 70 mounted in its end, which is in such a position that it strikes against the foundation J when the cradle is being lowered, whereby these levers K are rocked, and being so rocked they draw the car-platform toward the rear of the cradle, so that when the cradle is in its lowest position the tracks 6 are alined with the tracks at each end of the cradle upon which a car runs onto and from the tracks a.

On the front side of the cradle are a plurality of vertical guideways G, preferably formed by Z-bars g, secured to the inner face of the front side a of the cradle. In these guideways are vertically -movable clamping bars M,

which have overhanging clamping-arms m on their upper ends. On the rear side of the cradle are a number of vertical built-up posts P, in which are vertical guideways for the clamping-bars N, having inwardly-projecting clamping-arms a on their upperends. These bars N, as well as the bars M, project below the cradle, whereby they engage with the foundation J before the cradle reaches its lowest position. When the cradle is lifted, these bars N and M are not raised until their clamping-arms n and m engage with the top of a car upon tracks 6, whereby to hold the car upon the cradle. When the bars are thus lowered relative to the cradle, spring-actuated retaining devices engage with the bars and hold them down when the cradle is turned over. These clamping-bars N and M have ratchet-teeth n and m on their front faces,

which are adapted to be engaged by movable ratchet-blocks R and R, which are movable transversely in guideways T, secured to the cradle in proper position for bars M and N to pass through them. In the particular form in which these ratchet-blocks are shown they have vertical holes 1* through them, and' the clamping-bars M and N pass through these holes. The inner vertical walls of these holes, which face the ratchet-teeth n m, have ratchetteeth 1". These ratchet-blocks R R are under the influence of springs S S, tending to push them into engagement with the teeth on the bars M and N. The ratchet-blocks R R in the same transverse plane are connected by transverse links V, so that both ratchet-blocks of a pair may be withdrawn simultaneously. These links, however, are forked and embrace the blocks, and the ratchet-blocks have transversely-extended slots 7 through which pass the pins 11, secured to the links. This permits the independent movement of the ratchetblocks toward the front of the cradle. Therefore if the arm of any clamping-bar does not in the first instance settle down against the side of the caras, for example, if it first strikes a part of the load-the bar may move down independently, as occasion requires, the

corresponding rat chetblock R yielding to permit this.

W represents a lever whose lower end is connected by extensions of the links V with a ratchet-block. This lever is pivoted to the front side of the cradle, and its upper arm, which is bent forward, is provided with a friction-roller w, which when the cradle descends engages with the beveled upper end of a fixed post X, whereby said lever is rocked in that direction which withdraws the ratchet-blocks R from engagement with the teeth of the clamping-bars M and N. The still further downward movement of the cradle brings the lower ends of these clamping-bars in contact with the foundation J or some other fixed abutment, which prevent the bars from moving down farther. Therefore as the cradle continues to move down to its lowest position these bars M and N relatively move upward and become disengaged from the top of the car. When these bars so disengage the car, the levers K by engaging with the foundation J move the car-holding platform E toward the rear of the cradle. When the cradle is again lifted, the parts act in the reverse direc- 5 tion, as before described.

It will be understood that the described mechanism for controlling the movements of the clamping-bars is provided for each pair of clamping-bars and that any number of pairs of such bars may be provided.

I claim 1. In a car-dumping machine the combination with the vertically-movable cradle having vertical guideways on its front and rear edges, of clamping-bars freely movable in said guideways, devices to engage with said guide-bars when the cradle nears its lowest position to prevent further downward movement of said clamping-bars, spring-actuated retaining devices for engagement with said clamping-bars, mechanism for withdrawing said retaining devices, and members with which said withdrawing mechanism engages and by which it is operated as the cradle descends, substantially as specified.

2. In a car-dumping machine, the combination with the vertically-movable tilting cradle having vertical guideways on its front and rear edges, of clamping-bars which are vertically movable in said guideways, and which project below the cradle for engagement with a fixed abutment below the cradle, spring-actuated retaining members for engagement with said clamping-bars, levers pivoted to the cradle for withdrawing said retaining members,,and fixed parts having beveled faces which engage with said levers when the cradle nears its lowest position.

3. In a car-dumping machine, the combination with the vertically-movable tilting cradle of a car-dumping machine, having vertical guideways on its front and rear edges, of clamping-bars which are vertically movable in said guideways, and which project below the cradle for engagement with a fixed abutment and have ratchet-teeth on one vertical edge, spring-actuated ratchets carried by the cradle for engagement with said edges, levers pivoted to the sides of said cradle for operating said ratchets and fixed members having a beveled face for engagement with levers to move them to withdraw said ratchets.

4. In a car-dumping machine, the combination with the vertically-movable tilting cradle having vertical guideways on its front and rear edges, of clamping-bars which project below the cradle and are vertically movable in said guideways and have ratchet-teeth on their front faces, a pair of spring-actuated sliding blocks associated with each pair of clampingbars, a lever pivoted to the cradle, a link connecting said pair of ratchet-blocks with each other and with one arm of said lever, the connection between the link and each of said ratchet-blocks being a slot-and-pin connection which permits the independent movement of said ratchet blocks, and a fixed post with which said lever engages when the cradle is being lowered, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a car-dumping machine, the combination with the vertically-movable tilting cradle and a plurality of Wheels loosely mounted in the base of the cradle on longitudinal horizontal axes, with a car-supporting platform having on its lower side inclined surfaces which rest upon said wheels, and a plurality of hellcrank levers whose upwardly-extended arms 

